axel

::overture::

[I tried carrying the weight of the world,

But I only have two hands.

So, wake me up when it's all over,

When I'm wiser and I'm older.] {Wake Me Up; Avicii}

I tried to remember the moment I met him, in later days. 

I tried to remember what song was playing when he walked in. What I was wearing. What he smelled like. 

But I could never get the exact moment right. 

I just remember that he was what saved me. 

I remember feeling safe and whole.

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I break into the ice skating rink in my town quite often. I felt guilty about the first few times, but it that stopped quickly. It's not like I'm stealing anything, I'm just enjoying the ice. I don't take anything, I simply leave my tread marks on the ice.

It's a brisk walk from my house, and if I run I can make it there in five minutes. 

I go most every day after they close. It's the only place in this town to skate, until the dead of winter that is, when the lakes freeze over. Even that is sketchy though; never knowing if you're going to break through the ice or not.

Although for me, that's part of the excitement. 

I went through the ice when I was younger, like Amy in Little Women. Straight through the middle of the pond. I got the breath knocked out of me, and dang if it wasn't cold. I was sick for a week. But the fun is in not knowing. Not knowing if the ice will hold you, or if you'll go straight to the bottom. 

And at this point, it's not like I have much of anything to lose.

I'm walking to the rink now, lips chapped and red from the blistering wind that's practically knocking me off my feet. I tug my skates tighter on my shoulder and pick up the pace. It'll be dark soon, and I don't want to risk getting yelled at.

Not fun.

The skating rink comes into view, and I hop up the stairs to the door in one leap. Leaving the skates on the steps, I dig out a couple of bobby pins, credit cards, and other various objects from my bag to pick the lock.

The door springs open after a few seconds and I swing the door open before snatching my bag up from the stoop.

I run in and flick the lights on in the rink before shutting and locking the door behind me. 

Time to skate.

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